Gearing up the body & ReEx/ReLoc interventions

Social inequalities in health is one of societies grand challenges as a consequence of different factors such as education and gender resulting in lower consumption of fruits and vegetables, higher consumption of fat and meat, less physical activity and higher rates of smoking. Besides this, women generally eat more in accordance with the official dietary guidelines compared to men. As a result there is a need for interventions targeting less advantaged population groups, and especially men with shorter educations. Vocational schools and other schools challenged by disadvantage and where the majority of the enrolled students are males deserve more interest from policymakers and the scientific community.

Against this background, the Danish Heart Association in cooperation with Aalborg University and a range of other partners have done research to evaluate the effect of the “Gearing up the Body” program developed for the UCH vocational school in Denmark. The research looked at changes in outcome measures of health behavior. In addition the researchers aim at explaining the effect of the program through interviews that attempt to uncover the perception of various program stakeholders. The aim of the research is to discuss the future perspectives and potential of using disadvantaged educational settings as arenas for health promotion among young men.
As a spin-off of the “Gearing up the Body” program, a Snack Pack repeated exposure and relocation intervention (ReEx-ReLoc) at 13 of the vocational school canteens has been tested.